Golf glove having a swing counter

ABSTRACT

A golf glove having a swing counter, comprising a plurality of flexible and tough counting strips arranged side-by-side in a row and secured at one end to the external surface of the &#39;&#39;&#39;&#39;back&#39;&#39;&#39;&#39; portion of the glove, each having a beltlike fastener portion formed on each side, so that the strips may be bent at said one end to either side to be adheringly engaged by the two rows of holding members made of similar fastener material and arranged on said &#39;&#39;&#39;&#39;back&#39;&#39;&#39;&#39; portion on both sides of said row of the respective one ends of the strips in spaced relation therefrom to thereby indicate and record the number of swings done by the golf player who wears this glove.

Unie States int Aralri [4 1 Jan. 18, 1972 [54] GOLF GLOVE HAVING A SWING UOUNTER [72] Inventor: Masae Araki, No. 25-1, Yushima 2- [52] lU.S.Cl ..116/120, l16/114,2/l61, 273/32 ..A63b 71/06 116/35,]14,120,136;2/159, 2/160, 161 A; 273/32 [51] lnt.Cl. 1.. [58] Field of Search 1.

FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 958,891 5/1964 Great Britain ..2/161 1,465,077 11/1966 France ..116/35 Primary Examiner-Louis J. Capozi Attorney-Woodhams, Blanchard and Flynn [57] ABSTRACT A golf glove having a swing counter, comprising a plurality of flexible and tough counting st'rips arranged side-by-side in a row and secured at one end to the external surface of the back" portion of the glove, each having a beltlike fastener portion formed on each side, so that the strips may be bent at said one end to either side to be adheringly engaged by the two rows of holding members made of similar fastener material and arranged on said back" portion on both sides of said row of the respective one ends of the strips in spaced relation therefrom to thereby indicate and record the number of swings done by the golf player who wears this glove.

8 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures PATENTED JAN] 8 I972 FIG. I

FIG. 2

FIG. 3

INVENTOR. MAJ/7: AIPA/K/ w flew 9% GOLF GLOVE HAVING A SWING COUNTER BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention is concerned with a golf glove, and more particularly, it relates to a golf glove having a swing counting device for indicating the number of swings played during the course of a golf play.

2. Description of the Prior Art I-Ieretofore, confirmation of the swing counts in a golf play, such as the number of swings done by the golf player till the golf ball is entered in the hole has relied on the memory of the player. A trained, skillful player may easily memorize his swing count since such a player can complete the game with a substantially predetermined swing count. Contrary to a skillful player, an amateur golf player who is not yet good at playing golf not only may find it troublesome to memorize his swing count but also may forget the number of his swings during the course of the play because, for one thing, his swing count often exceeds three and, for another thing, he may be distracted by various things and matters as he advances along the golf course.

To relieve the golf players from the burden of memorizing the number of swings they have exercised, a note book or a separate counting device of the pushbutton type or the like has been used. In fact, it is known to removably attach a small piece of paper or the like onto the back portion of a golf glove by the use of known fastening means so that the player himself may be able to mark his swing count on it with a pencil or the like as he moves from one site of the course to another. However, all of these known recording methods required the golf player to carry something, such as a piece of paper, a notebook, a pencil or a counting device, in addition to the golf club. Furthermore, it has often occurred that the player became so excited or distracted by the playing that he failed to enter the records of swing count in such a conventional recording means.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to provide a swing counter especially for the use of golf players, which is incorporated integrally and operatively on a golf glove worn by the golf player throughout the course of play and does not require to be carried separately by the golf player.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a swing counter provided on a golf glove, which is handy and can be operated in a very easy manner.

A still another object is to provide a swing counter of the type described which operates without the accompaniment of consumption of any material.

A further object is to provide a swing counter of the type described which can count any swing number.

A still further object is to provide a swing counter which keeps record steadily.

A yet further object is to provide a swing counter which is attached integrally to a golf glove without disturbing the action of the player who wears this glove.

Other objects and advantages of this invention will become apparent from the following description of a preferred embodiment of this invention when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The drawings show, by way of example, a preferred embodiment of this invention, in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a golf glove having a swing counter;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged plan view of the swing counter shown in FIG. I;

FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken along line lII-III in FIG. 2; and

FIG. 4 is a side elevation of a counting strip of the swing counter.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring to FIG. ll, there is shown a golf glove 1 which includes a back" portion 2, which portion carries thereon a plurality of, for example, five, flexible and tough counting strips generally desigiated by 3. These counting strips may be made with the same material as that with which the back portion 2 is made. The counting strips 3a, 3b, 3c, 3d and 3e are secured, by any known suitable means such as stitching, to the back portion 2 at one end thereof with a required space between the adjacent strips to avoid the contact therebetween. The stitches are arranged in side-by-side relationship in one row. Each of the counting strips is provided-,- near the free end on both sides thereofwith engageable beltlike male pieces 4 and 4 (FIG. 4) of a separable fastener of the type marketed under the trade name Velcro," that is, of a separable fastener of the hook and loop type wherein a male element including hooks is engageable a complementary female element having loops.

To said back portion 2 of the glove 1, there are secured beltlike two holding female members 5 and 5a made with a similar fastener material complementary to the pieces 4, at such positions as lying on both sides of the row of stitches of the counting strips 3 in spaced relation therefrom so as to be in register with one of the engageable beltlike male pieces 4 and 4 of any single counting strip 3 when the latter is bent to either side onto the holding female member 5 or 5a to be engaged by this member and held thereto. It will be appreciated that the engagement of the engageable beltlike male piece 4 with the holding female member 5 or 5a is steadily kept throughout the normal playing conditions of the glove, but this engagement can be easily relieved by pulling the tip of the counting strip 3 with two fingers of the other hand of the player away from the holding female member 5 or 5a.

The swing counter described above is operated as follows:

Prior to starting for the hole, all of the counting strips 3a 3e are bent onto, for example, the holding female member 5 side to be engaged and held thereby in the manner asshown in FIG. 2. When the player has completed a single swing, he pulls up one counting strip, for example, the strip 3a, away from the belt 5 and turns it to the other side to stick it onto the belt 5a. In the same manner, the remaining counting strips 3b, 3c, 3d and 3e may be switched from their engagement with the belt 5 onto the belt 5a one at a time at the end of the completion of one swing. If the player could not make a hole in five swings, then the counting strips are turned onto the belt 5 side one after another until ten swings are counted. In the same manner, the counting of more than 10 swings may be recorded by switching the engagement of the counting strips again from the belt 5 to the belt 5a, though such a case may rarely happen. The provision of these two-holding female members 5 and 5a in different colors relative to each other will help in the confirmation of such unit steps of counting.

Although the counting strips 3 have been described as being made of the same material as that of the back portion 2 in this embodiment, they may be made of any suitable material so long as it is tough and flexible and does not disturb the movement of the players hand wearing this glove. The counting strips may be colored in a suitable manner, such as green, yellow or red, to show, for example, the degree of the skill of the playenBesides, colored strips 3 will serve to remind the player of the need of operating the counting strips.

It will also be understood that the 4, 5, 5a may be replaced by any other suitable fastening means such as snap hooks or cooperating rubber magnet pieces. The male and female parts of the fastener in the embodiment shown in the drawing may be replaced by each other.

Five counting strips are provided in the preferred embodi ment shown in the drawings from the considerations that the swing number for making one hole may reside between three to 10 and also that we are accustomed to counting numbers up to 10 by the use of five fingers. It should be understood that the counting strips may be provided in any other number as desired.

Iclaim:

l. A golf glove having a swing counter comprising: a plurality of flexible and tough strips each being secured at one end thereof to a back portion of the glove so as to be bendable both ways and having engageable male means provided on each side, and holding female members provided on said back portion of the glove on both sides of and spaced from said secured ends of the strips at such positions as will be correspondingly in register with said engageable male means when the strips are bent down onto the holding female members to detachably engage said engageable male means and hold them there.

2. A golf glove according to claim I, wherein said strips are pieces of belts of substantially the same size made of the same material as that of the back portion of the glove.

3. A golf glove according to claim 1, wherein said male means and said holding female members comprise a separable hook and loop fastener.

4. A golf glove according to claim 1, wherein said fastening means are snap hooks.

5. A golf glove according to claim 1, wherein said fastening means of the counting strip and the holding members are cooperating magnet pieces.

6. A golf glove according to claim 1, wherein the number of said counting strips is five.

7. A golf glove according to claim I, wherein said counting strips are colored.

8. A golf glove having a swing counter comprising: a plurality of tough and flexible pieces of strips arranged sideby-side and secured at one end to the back portion of the glove so that the secured portions are aligned in a row and so that the strips may be bent to either side; beltlike male pieces of separable hook and loop fasteners provided one on each side of the strips to form an aligned row on said each side; and two rows of beltlike holding female separable hook and loop fasteners arranged on both sides of said row of the secured portions of the strips in spaced parallel relation therefrom at such positions that these female fasteners may be in register with said male pieces when the strips carrying these pieces are bent onto said female fasteners. 

1. A golf glove having a swing counter comprising: a plurality of flexible and tough strips each being secured at one end thereof to a ''''back'''' portion of the glove so as to be bendable both ways and having engageable male means provided on each side, and holding female members provided on said ''''back'''' portion of the glove on both sides of and spaced from said secured ends of the strips at such positions as will be correspondingly in register with said engageable male means when the strips are bent down onto the holding female members to detachably engage said engageable male means and hold them there.
 2. A golf glove according to claim 1, wherein said strips are pieces of belts of substantially the same size made of the same material as that of the ''''back'''' portion of the glove.
 3. A golf glove according to claim 1, wherein said male means and said holding female members comprise a separable hook and loop fastener.
 4. A golf glove according to claim 1, wherein said fastening means are snap hooks.
 5. A golf glove according to claim 1, wherein said fastening means of the counting strip and the holding members are cooperating magnet pieces.
 6. A golf glove according to claim 1, wherein the number of said counting strips is five.
 7. A golf glove according to claim 1, wherein said counting strips are colored.
 8. A golf glove having a swing counter comprising: a plurality of tough and flexible pieces of strips arranged side-by-side and secured at one end to the ''''back'''' portion of the glove so that the secured portions are aligned in a row and so that the strips may be bent to either side; beltlike male pieces of separable hook and loop fasteners provided one on each side of the strips to form an aligned row on said each side; and two rows of beltlike holding female separable hook and loop fasteners arranged on both sides of said row of the secured portions of the strips in spaced parallel relation therefrom at such positions that these female fasteners may be in register with said male pieces when the strips carrying these pieces are bent onto said female fasteners. 